Thecreaturestoodabouttheheightofanaveragemanbutappearedmuchtallerfromthefactthatthejointsofhislongwingsrosefullyafootabovehishairlesshead。Thebarearmswerelongandsinewy,endinginstrong,bonyhandswithclawlikefingers——almosttalonlikeintheirsuggestiveness。Thewhiterobewasseparatedinfront,revealingskinnylegsandthefurtherfactthatthethingworebutthesinglegarment,whichwasoffine,wovencloth。Fromcrowntosoletheportionsofthebodyexposedwereentirelyhairless,andashenotedthis,Bradleyalsonotedforthefirsttimethecauseofmuchoftheseemingexpressionlessnessofthecreature’scountenance——ithadneithereye-browsorlashes。Theearsweresmallandrestedflatagainsttheskull,whichwasnoticeablyround,thoughthefacewasquiteflat。Thecreaturehadsmallfeet,beautifullyarchedandplump,butsooutofkeepingwitheveryotherphysicalattributeitpossessedastoappearridiculous。
AftereyeingBradleyforamomentthethingapproachedhim。
\"Wherefrom?\"itasked。
\"England,\"repliedBradley,asbriefly。
\"WhereisEnglandandwhat?\"pursuedthequestioner。
\"Itisacountryfarfromhere,\"answeredtheEnglishman。
\"Areyourpeoplecor-sva-joorcos-ata-lu?\"
\"Idonotunderstandyou,\"saidBradley;\"andnowsupposeyouanswerafewquestions。Whoareyou?Whatcountryisthis?
Whydidyoubringmehere?\"
Againthesepulchralgrimace。\"WeareWieroos——Luataisourfather。
Caspakisours。This,ourcountry,iscalledOo-oh。Webroughtyouherefor(literally)HimWhoSpeaksforLuatatogazeuponandquestion。Hewouldknowfromwhenceyoucameandwhy;butprincipallyifyoubecos-ata-lu。\"
\"AndifIamnotcos——whateveryoucallthebloomin’beast——
whatofit?\"
TheWierooraisedhiswingsinaveryhumanshrugandwavedhisbonyclawstowardthehumanskullssupportingtheceiling。
Hisgesturewaseloquent;butheembellisheditbyremarking,\"Andpossiblyifyouare。\"
\"I’mhungry,\"snappedBradley。
TheWieroomotionedhimtooneofthedoorswhichhethrewopen,permittingBradleytopassoutontoanotherroofonalevellowerthanthatuponwhichtheyhadlandedearlierinthemorning。
Bydaylightthecityappearedevenmoreremarkablethaninthemoonlight,thoughlessweirdandunreal。Thehousesofallshapesandsizeswerepiledaboutasachildmightpileblocksofvariousformsandcolors。Hesawnowthattherewerewhatmightbecalledstreetsoralleys,buttheyraninbafflingturnsandtwists,noreverreachedadestination,alwaysendinginadeadwallwheresomeWieroohadbuiltahouseacrossthem。
Uponeachhousewasaslendercolumnsupportingahumanskull。
Sometimesthecolumnswereatonecorneroftheroof,sometimesatanother,oragaintheyrosefromthecenterornearthecenter,andthecolumnswereofvaryingheights,fromthatofamantothosewhichrosetwentyfeetabovetheirroofs。
Theskullswere,asarule,painted——blueorwhite,orincombinationsofbothcolors。Themosteffectivewerepaintedbluewiththeteethwhiteandtheeye-socketsrimmedwithwhite。
Therewereotherskulls——thousandsofthem——tens,hundredsofthousands。Theyrimmedtheeavesofeveryhouse,theyweresetintheplasteroftheouterwallsandatnogreatdistancefromwhereBradleystoodrosearoundtowerbuiltentirelyofhumanskulls。AndthecityextendedineverydirectionasfarastheEnglishmancouldsee。
AllabouthimWieroosweremovingacrosstheroofsorwingingthroughtheair。Thesadsoundoftheirflappingwingsroseandfelllikeasolemndirge。Mostofthemwereappareledallinwhite,likehiscaptors;butothershadmarkingsofredorblueoryellowslashedacrossthefrontoftheirrobes。
Hisguidepointedtowardadoorwayinanalleybelowthem。
\"Gothereandeat,\"hecommanded,\"andthencomeback。
Youcannotescape。Ifanyquestionyou,saythatyoubelongtoFosh-bal-soj。Thereistheway。\"Andthistimehepointedtothetopofaladderwhichprotrudedabovetheeavesoftheroofnear-by。Thenheturnedandreenteredthehouse。
Bradleylookedabouthim。No,hecouldnotescape——thatseemedevident。Thecityappearedinterminable,andbeyondthecity,ifnotasavagewildernessfilledwithwildbeasts,therewasthebroadinlandseainfestedwithhorridmonsters。NowonderhiscaptorfeltsafeinturninghimlooseinOo-oh——hewonderedifthatwasthenameofthecountryorthecityandiftherewereothercitieslikethisupontheisland。
Slowlyhedescendedtheladdertotheseeminglydesertedalleywhichwaspavedwithwhatappearedtobelarge,roundcobblestones。
Helookedagainatthesmooth,wornpavement,andaruefulgrincrossedhisfeatures——thealleywaspavedwithskulls。\"TheCityofHumanSkulls,\"musedBradley。\"Theymusthavebeencollectin’
’emsinceAdam,\"hethought,andthenhecrossedandenteredthebuildingthroughthedoorwaythathadbeenpointedouttohim。
InsidehefoundalargeroominwhichweremanyWieroosseatedbeforepedestalsthetopsofwhichwerehollowedoutsothattheyresembledtheordinarybirddrinking-andbathing-fontssocommonlyseenonsuburbanlawns。Aseatprotrudedfromeachofthefoursidesofthepedestals——justaflatboardwithasupportrunningfromitsouterenddiagonallytothebaseofthepedestal。
AsBradleyentered,someoftheWieroosespiedhim,andadismalwailarose。Whetheritwasagreetingorathreat,Bradleydidnotknow。SuddenlyfromadarkalcoveanotherWieroorushedouttowardhim。\"Whoareyou?\"hecried。\"Whatdoyouwant?\"
\"Fosh-bal-sojsentmeheretoeat,\"repliedBradley。
\"DoyoubelongtoFosh-bal-soj?\"askedtheother。
\"Thatappearstobewhathethinks,\"answeredtheEnglishman。
\"Areyoucos-ata-lu?\"demandedtheWieroo。
\"GivemesomethingtoeatorI’llbeallofthat,\"repliedBradley。
TheWieroolookedpuzzled。\"Sithere,jaal-lu,\"hesnapped,andBradleysatdownunconsciousofthefactthathehadbeeninsultedbybeingcalledahyena-man,anappellationofcontemptinCaspak。
TheWieroohadseatedhimatapedestalbyhimself,andashesatwaitingforwhatwasnexttotranspire,helookedabouthimattheWierooinhisimmediatevicinity。Hesawthatineachfontwasaquantityoffood,andthateachWieroowasarmedwithawoodenskewer,sharpenedatoneend;withwhichtheycarriedsolidportionsoffoodtotheirmouths。Attheotherendoftheskewerwasfastenedasmallclam-shell。Thiswasusedtoscoopupthesmallerandsofterportionsoftherepastintowhichallfouroftheoccupantsofeachtabledippedimpartially。TheWierooleanedfarovertheirfood,scoopingituprapidlyandwithmuchnoise,andsogreatwastheirhastethatapartofeachmouthfulalwaysfellbackintothecommondish;andwhentheychoked,byreasonoftherapiditywithwhichtheyattemptedtobolttheirfood,theyoftenlostitall。Bradleywasgladthathehadapedestalalltohimself。
Soonthekeeperoftheplacereturnedwithawoodenbowlfilledwithfood。ThishedumpedintoBradley’s\"trough,\"ashealreadythoughtofit。TheEnglishmanwasgladthathecouldnotseeintothedarkalcoveorknowwhatwerealltheingredientsthatconstitutedthemessbeforehim,forhewasveryhungry。
Afterthefirstmouthfulhecaredevenlesstoinvestigatetheantecedentsofthedish,forhefounditpeculiarlypalatable。
Itseemedtoconsistofacombinationofmeat,fruits,vegetables,smallfishandotherundistinguishablearticlesoffoodallseasonedtoproduceagastronomiceffectthatwasatoncebafflinganddelicious。
Whenhehadfinished,histroughwasempty,andthenhecommencedtowonderwhowastosettleforhismeal。Ashewaitedfortheproprietortoreturn,hefelltoexaminingthedishfromwhichhehadeatenandthepedestaluponwhichitrested。Thefontwasofstonewornsmoothbylong-continueduse,thefourouteredgeshollowedandpolishedbythecontactofthecountlessWieroobodiesthathadleanedagainstthemforhowlongaperiodoftimeBradleycouldnotevenguess。Everythingabouttheplacecarriedtheimpressionofhoaryage。Thecarvedpedestalswereblackwithuse,thewoodenseatswerewornhollow,thefloorofstoneslabswaspolishedbythecontactofpossiblymillionsofnakedfeetandwornawayintheaislesbetweenthepedestalssothatthelatterresteduponlittlemoundsofstoneseveralinchesabovethegenerallevelofthefloor。
Finally,seeingthatnoonecametocollect,Bradleyaroseandstartedforthedoorway。Hehadcoveredhalfthedistancewhenheheardthevoiceofminehostcallingtohim:\"Comeback,jaal-lu,\"screamedtheWieroo;andBradleydidashewasbid。
Asheapproachedthecreaturewhichstoodnowbehindalarge,flat-toppedpedestalbesidethealcove,hesawlyinguponthesmoothsurfacesomethingthatalmostelicitedagaspofastonishmentfromhim——asimple,commonthingitwas,orwouldhavebeenalmostanywhereintheworldbutCaspak——asquarebitofpaper!
Andonit,inafinehand,writtencompactly,weremanystrangehieroglyphics!Theseremarkablecreatures,then,hadawrittenaswellasaspokenlanguageandbesidestheartofweavingclothpossessedthatofpaper-making。CoulditbethatsuchgrotesquebeingsrepresentedthehighcultureofthehumanracewithintheboundariesofCaspak?HadnaturalselectionproducedduringthecountlessagesofCaspakianlifeawingedmonstrositythatrepresentedtheearthlypinnacleofman’sevolution?
BradleyhadnotedsomethingoftheobviousindicationsofagradualevolutionfromapetospearmanasexemplifiedbytheseveraloverlappingracesofAlalus,club-menandhatchet-menthatformedtheconnectinglinksbetweenthetwoextremeswithwhichhe,hadcomeincontact。HehadheardoftheKrolusandtheGalus——reputedtobestillhigherintheplaneofevolution——
andnowhehadindisputableevidenceofaracepossessingrefinementsofcivilizationeonsinadvanceofthespear-men。
Theconjecturesawakenedbyevenamomentaryconsiderationofthepossibilitiesinvolvedbecameatonceaswildlybizarreastheinsaneimagingsofadrugaddict。
Asthesethoughtsflashedthroughhismind,theWierooheldoutapenofbonefixedtoawoodenholderandatthesametimemadeasignthatBradleywastowriteuponthepaper。ItwasdifficulttojudgefromtheexpressionlessfeaturesoftheWieroowhatwaspassinginthecreature’smind,butBradleycouldnotbutfeelthatthethingcastasuperciliousglanceuponhimasmuchastosay,\"Ofcourseyoudonotknowhowtowrite,youpoor,lowcreature;butyoucanmakeyourmark。\"
Bradleyseizedthepenandinaclear,boldhandwrote:\"JohnBradley,England。\"TheWierooshowedevidencesofconsternationasitseizedthepieceofpaperandexaminedthewritingwitheverymarkofincredulityandsurprise。Ofcourseitcouldmakenothingofthestrangecharacters;butitevidentlyacceptedthemasproofthatBradleypossessedknowledgeofawrittenlanguageofhisown,forfollowingtheEnglishman’sentryitmadeafewcharactersofitsown。
\"YouwillcomehereagainjustbeforeLuahideshisfacebehindthegreatcliff,\"announcedthecreature,\"unlessbeforethatyouaresummonedbyHimWhoSpeaksforLuata,inwhichcaseyouwillnothavetoeatanymore。\"
\"Reassuringcuss,\"thoughtBradleyasheturnedandleftthebuilding。
OutsidewereseveralWieroosthathadbeeneatingatthepedestalswithin。Theyimmediatelysurroundedhim,askingallsortsofquestions,pluckingathisgarments,hisammunition-beltandhispistol。Theirdemeanorwasentirelydifferentfromwhatithadbeenwithintheeating-placeandBradleywastolearnthatahouseoffoodwassanctuaryforhim,sincethesternlawsoftheWieroosforbadealtercationswithinsuchwalls。Nowtheywereroughandthreatening,aswithwingshalfspreadtheyhoveredabouthiminmenacingattitudes,barringhiswaytotheladderleadingtotherooffromwhencehehaddescended;buttheEnglishmanwasnotonetobrookinterferenceforlong。Heattemptedatfirsttopushhiswaypastthem,andthenwhenoneseizedhisarmandjerkedhimroughlyback,Bradleyswunguponthecreatureandwithaheavyblowtothejawfelledit。
Instantlypandemoniumreigned。Loudwailsarose,greatwingsopenedandclosedwithaloud,beatingnoiseandmanyclawlikehandsreachedforthtoclutchhim。Bradleystrucktorightandleft。Hedarednotusehispistolforfearthatoncetheydiscovereditspowerhewouldbeovercomebyweightofnumbersandrelievedofpossessionofwhatheconsideredhistrumpcard,tobereserveduntilthelastmomentthatitmightbeusedtoaidinhisescape,foralreadytheEnglishmanwasplanning,thoughalmosthopelessly,suchanattempt。
AfewblowsconvincedBradleythattheWierooswerearrantcowardsandthattheyborenoweapons,foraftertwoorthreehadfallenbeneathhisfiststheothersformedacircleabouthim,butatasafedistanceandcontentedthemselveswiththreateningandblustering,whilethosewhomhehadfelledlayuponthepavementwithouttryingtoarise,thewhiletheymoanedandwailedinlugubriouschorus。
AgainBradleystrodetowardtheladder,andthistimethecirclepartedbeforehim;butnosoonerhadheascendedafewrungsthanhewasseizedbyonefootandaneffortmadetodraghimdown。
WithaquickbackwardglancetheEnglishman,clingingfirmlytotheladderwithbothhands,drewuphisfreefootandwithallthestrengthofapowerfulleg,plantedaheavyshoesquarelyintheflatfaceoftheWieroothatheldhim。Shriekinghorribly,thecreatureclappedbothhandstoitsfaceandsanktothegroundwhileBradleyclamberedquicklytheremainingdistancetotheroof,thoughnosoonerdidhereachthetopoftheladderthanagreatflappingofwingsbeneathhimwarnedhimthattheWierooswererisingafterhim。Amomentlatertheyswarmedabouthisheadasheranfortheapartmentinwhichhehadspenttheearlyhoursofthemorningafterhisarrival。
Itwasbutashortdistancefromthetopoftheladdertothedoorway,andBradleyhadalmostreachedhisgoalwhenthedoorflewopenandFosh-bal-sojsteppedout。ImmediatelythepursuingWieroosdemandedpunishmentofthejaal-luwhohadsogrievouslymaltreatedthem。Fosh-bal-sojlistenedtotheircomplaintsandthenwithasuddensweepofhisrighthandseizedBradleybythescruffoftheneckandhurledhimsprawlingthroughthedoorwayuponthefloorofthechamber。
SosuddenwastheassaultandsosurprisingthestrengthoftheWieroothattheEnglishmanwastakencompletelyoffhisguard。
Whenhearose,thedoorwasclosed,andFosh-bal-sojwasstandingoverhim,hishideousfacecontortedintoanexpressionofrageandhatred。
\"Hyena,snake,lizard!\"hescreamed。\"Youwoulddarelayyourlow,vile,profaninghandsuponeventhelowliestoftheWieroos——
thesacredchosenofLuata!\"
Bradleywasmad,andsohespokeinaverylow,calmvoicewhileahalf-smileplayedacrosshislipsbuthiscold,grayeyeswereunsmiling。
\"Whatyoudidtomejustnow,\"hesaid,\"——Iamgoingtokillyouforthat,\"andevenashespoke,helaunchedhimselfatthethroatofFosh-bal-soj。TheotherWieroothathadbeenasleepwhenBradleyleftthechamberhaddeparted,andthetwowerealone。
Fosh-bal-sojdisplayedlittleofthecowardiceofthosethathadattackedBradleyinthealleyway,butthatmayhavebeenbecausehehadsoslightopportunity,forBradleyhadhimbythethroatbeforehecouldutteracryandwithhisrighthandstruckhimheavilyandrepeatedlyuponhisfaceandoverhisheart——ugly,smashing,short-armjabsofthesortthattakethefightoutofamaninquicktime。
ButFosh-bal-sojwasofnomindtodiepassively。HeclawedandstruckatBradleywhilewithhisgreatwingsheattemptedtoshieldhimselffromthemercilessrainofblows,atthesametimesearchingforaholduponhisantagonist’sthroat。PresentlyhesucceededintrippingtheEnglishman,andtogetherthetwofellheavilytothefloor,Bradleyunderneath,andatthesameinstanttheWieroofastenedhislongtalonsabouttheother’swindpipe。
Fosh-bal-sojwaspossessedofenormousstrengthandhewasfightingforhislife。TheEnglishmansoonrealizedthatthebattlewasgoingagainsthim。Alreadyhislungswerepoundingpainfullyforairashereachedforhispistol。Itwaswithdifficultythathedrewitfromitsholster,andeventhen,withdeathstaringhimintheface,hethoughtofhispreciousammunition。
\"Can’twasteit,\"hethought;andslippinghisfingerstothebarrelheraisedtheweaponandstruckFosh-bal-sojaterrificblowbetweentheeyes。Instantlytheclawlikefingersreleasedtheirhold,andthecreaturesanklimplytothefloorbesideBradley,wholayforseveralminutesgaspingpainfullyinanefforttoregainhisbreath。
Whenhewasable,herose,andleanedcloseovertheWieroo,lyingsilentandmotionless,hiswingsdroppinglimplyandhisgreat,roundeyesstaringblanklytowardtheceiling。AbriefexaminationconvincedBradleythatthethingwasdead,andwiththeconvictioncameanoverwhelmingsenseofthedangerswhichmustnowconfronthim;buthowwashetoescape?
Hisfirstthoughtwastofindsomemeansforconcealingtheevidenceofhisdeedandthentomakeaboldefforttoescape。
Steppingtotheseconddoorhepusheditgentlyopenandpeeredinuponwhatseemedtobeastoreroom。InitwasalitterofclothsuchastheWieroos’robeswerefashionedfrom,anumberofchestspaintedblueandwhite,withwhitehieroglyphicspaintedinboldstrokesupontheblueandbluehieroglyphicsuponthewhite。InonecornerwasapileofhumanskullsreachingalmosttotheceilingandinanotherastackofdriedWieroowings。
Thechamberwasasirregularlyshapedastheotherandhadbutasinglewindowandaseconddooratthefurtherend,butwaswithouttheexitthroughtheroofand,mostimportantofall,therewasnocreatureofanysortinit。
AsquicklyaspossibleBradleydraggedthedeadWieroothroughthedoorwayandclosedthedoor;thenhelookedaboutforaplacetoconcealthecorpse。Oneofthechestswaslargeenoughtoholdthebodyifthekneeswerebentwellup,andwiththisideainviewBradleyapproachedthechesttoopenit。Thelidwasmadeintwopieces,eachbeinghingedatanoppositeendofthechestandjoiningnicelywheretheymetinthecenterofthechest,makingasnug,well-fittingjoint。Therewasnolock。
Bradleyraisedonehalfthecoverandlookedin。Withasmothered\"ByJove!\"hebentclosertoexaminethecontents——thechestwasabouthalffilledwithanassortmentofgoldentrinkets。
Therewerewhatappearedtobebracelets,ankletsandbroochesofvirgingold。
RealizingthattherewasnoroominthechestforthebodyoftheWieroo,Bradleyturnedtoseekanothermeansofconcealingtheevidenceofhiscrime。Therewasaspacebetweenthechestsandthewall,andintothisheforcedthecorpse,pilingthediscardedrobesuponituntilitwasentirelyhiddenfromsight;
butnowhowwashetomakegoodhisescapeinthebrightglareofthatearlySpringday?
Hewalkedtothedooratthefarendoftheapartmentandcautiouslyopeneditaninch。Beforehimandabouttwofeetawaywastheblankwallofanotherbuilding。Bradleyopenedthedooralittlefartherandlookedinbothdirections。Therewasnooneinsighttotheleftoveraconsiderableexpanseofroof-top,andtotherightanotherbuildingshutoffhislineofvisionatabouttwentyfeet。Slippingout,heturnedtotherightandinafewstepsfoundanarrowpassagewaybetweentwobuildings。
TurningintothishepassedabouthalfitslengthwhenhesawaWierooappearattheoppositeendandhalt。Thecreaturewasnotlookingdownthepassageway;butatanymomentitmightturnitseyestowardhim,whenhewouldbeimmediatelydiscovered。
ToBradley’sleftwasatriangularnicheinthewallofoneofthehousesandintothishedodged,thusconcealinghimselffromthesightoftheWieroo。BesidehimwasadoorpaintedavividyellowandconstructedafterthesamefashionastheotherWieroodoorshehadseen,beingmadeupofcountlessnarrowstripsofwoodfromfourtosixinchesinlengthlaidoninpatchesofaboutthesamewidth,thestripsinadjacentpatchesneverrunninginthesamedirection。Theresultboresomeresemblancetoacrazypatchworkquilt,whichwasheightenedwhen,asinoneofthedoorshehadseen,contiguouspatcheswerepainteddifferentcolors。Thestripsappearedtohavebeenboundtogetherandtotheunderlyingframeworkofthedoorwithgutorfiberandalsoglued,afterwhichathickcoatingofpainthadbeenapplied。Oneedgeofthedoorwasformedofastraight,roundpoleabouttwoinchesindiameterthatprotrudedattopandbottom,theprojectionssettinginroundholesinbothlintelandsillformingtheaxisuponwhichthedoorswung。Aneccentricdiskupontheinsidefaceofthedoorengagedaslotintheframewhenitwasdesiredtosecurethedooragainstintruders。
AsBradleystoodflattenedagainstthewallwaitingfortheWierootomoveon,heheardthecreature’swingsbrushingagainstthesidesofthebuildingsasitmadeitswaydownthenarrowpassageinhisdirection。Astheyellowdoorofferedtheonlymeansofescapewithoutdetection,theEnglishmandecidedtoriskwhatevermightliebeyondit,andso,boldlypushingitin,hecrossedthethresholdandenteredasmallapartment。
Ashedidso,heheardamuffledejaculationofsurprise,andturninghiseyesinthedirectionfromwhencethesoundhadcome,hebeheldawide-eyedgirlstandingflattenedagainsttheoppositewall,anexpressionofincredulityuponherface。AtaglancehesawthatshewasofnoraceofhumansthathehadcomeincontactwithsincehisarrivaluponCaprona——therewasnotraceaboutherformorfeaturesofanyrelationshiptothoselowordersofmen,norwassheappareledasthey——or,rather,shedidnotentirelylackapparelasdidmostofthem。
Asofthidefellfromherleftshouldertojustbelowherlefthipononesideandalmosttoherrightkneeontheother,aloosegirdlewasaboutherwaist,andgoldenornamentssuchashehadseenintheblue-and-whitechestencircledherarmsandlegs,whileagoldenfilletwithatriangulardiademboundherheavyhairaboveherbrows。Herskinwaswhiteasfromlongconfinementwithindoors;butitwasclearandfine。Herfigure,butpartiallyconcealedbythesoftdeerskin,wasallcurvesofsymmetryandyouthfulgrace,whileherfeaturesmighteasilyhavebeentheenvyofthemostfetedofContinentalbeauties。
IfthegirlwassurprisedbythesuddenappearanceofBradley,thelatterwasabsolutelyastoundedtodiscoversowondrousacreatureamongthehideousinhabitantsoftheCityofHumanSkulls。Foramomentthetwolookedatoneanotherinunconcealedconsternation,andthenBradleyspoke,usingtothebestofhispoorability,thecommontongueofCaspak。
\"Whoareyou,\"heasked,\"andfromwheredoyoucome?DonottellmethatyouareaWieroo。\"
\"No,\"shereplied,\"IamnoWieroo。\"Andsheshudderedslightlyasshepronouncedtheword。\"IamaGalu;butwhoandwhatareyou?
IamsurethatyouarenoGalu,fromyourgarments;butyouareliketheGalusinotherrespects。Iknowthatyouarenotofthisfrightfulcity,forIhavebeenhereforalmosttenmoons,andneverhaveIseenamaleGalubroughthitherbefore,noraretheresuchasyouandI,otherthanprisonersinthelandofOo-oh,andtheseareallfemales。Areyouaprisoner,then?\"
Hetoldherbrieflywhoandwhathewas,thoughhedoubtedifsheunderstood,andfromherhelearnedthatshehadbeenaprisonerthereformanymonths;butforwhatpurposehedidnotthenlearn,asinthemidstoftheirconversationtheyellowdoorswungopenandaWieroowitharobeslashedwithyellowentered。
AtsightofBradleythecreaturebecamefurious。\"Whencecamethisreptile?\"itdemandedofthegirl。\"Howlonghasitbeenherewithyou?\"
\"Itcamethroughthedoorwayjustaheadofyou,\"Bradleyansweredforthegirl。
TheWieroolookedrelieved。\"Itiswellforthegirlthatthisisso,\"itsaid,\"fornowonlyyouwillhavetodie。\"
Andsteppingtothedoorthecreatureraiseditsvoiceinoneofthoseuncanny,depressingwails。
TheEnglishmanlookedtowardthegirl。\"ShallIkillit?\"heasked,halfdrawinghispistol。\"Whatisbesttodo?——Idonotwishtoendangeryou。\"
TheWieroobackedtowardthedoor。\"Defiler!\"itscreamed。
\"YoudaretothreatenoneofthesacredchosenofLuata!\"
\"Donotkillhim,\"criedthegirl,\"forthentherecouldbenohopeforyou。Thatyouarehere,alive,showsthattheymaynotintendtokillyouatall,andsothereisachanceforyouifyoudonotangerthem;buttouchhiminviolenceandyourbleachedskullwilltoptheloftiestpedestalofOo-oh。\"
\"Andwhatofyou?\"askedBradley。
\"Iamalreadydoomed,\"repliedthegirl;\"Iamcos-ata-lo。\"
\"Cos-ata-lo!cos-ata-lu!\"WhatdidthesephrasesmeanthattheyweresooftrepeatedbythedenizensofOo-oh?Luandlo,Bradleyknewtomeanmanandwoman;ata;wasemployedvariouslytoindicatelife,eggs,young,reproductionandkindredsubject;coswasanegative;butincombinationtheyweremeaninglesstotheEuropean。
\"Doyoumeantheywillkillyou?\"askedBradley。
\"Ibutwishthattheywould,\"repliedthegirl。\"Myfateistobeworsethandeath——injustafewnightsmore,withthecomingofthenewmoon。\"
\"Poorshe-snake!\"snappedtheWieroo。\"Youaretobecomesacredaboveallothershes。HeWhoSpeaksforLuatahaschosenyouforhimself。Todayyougotohistemple——\"theWieroousedaphrasemeaningliterallyHighPlace——\"whereyouwillreceivethesacredcommands。\"
ThegirlshudderedandcastasorrowfulglancetowardBradley。
\"Ah,\"shesighed,\"ifIcouldbutseemybelovedcountryonceagain!\"
ThemansteppedsuddenlyclosetohersidebeforetheWieroocouldinterposeandinalowvoiceaskedheriftherewasnowaybywhichhemightencompassherescape。Sheshookherheadsorrowfully。\"Evenifweescapedthecity,\"shereplied,\"thereisthebigwaterbetweentheislandofOo-ohandtheGalushore。\"
\"Andwhatisbeyondthecity,ifwecouldleaveit?\"pursuedBradley。
\"ImayonlyguessfromwhatIhaveheardsinceIwasbroughthere,\"sheanswered;\"butbyreportsandchanceremarksItakeittobeabeautifullandinwhichtherearebutfewwildbeastsandnomen,foronlytheWieroosliveuponthisislandandtheydwellalwaysincitiesofwhichtherearethree,thisbeingthelargest。
Theothersareatthefarendoftheisland,whichisaboutthreemarchesfromendtoendandatitswidestpointaboutonemarch。\"
Fromhisownexperienceandfromwhatthenativesonthemainlandhadtoldhim,Bradleyknewthattenmileswasagoodday’smarchinCaspak,owingtothefactthatatmostpointsitwasatracklesswildernessandatalltimestravelerswerebesetbyhideousbeastsandreptilesthatgreatlyimpededrapidprogress。
ThetwohadspokenrapidlybutwerenowinterruptedbytheadventthroughtheopeningintheroofofseveralWierooswhohadcomeinanswertothealarmitoftheyellowslashinghaduttered。
\"Thisjaal-lu,\"criedtheoffendedone,\"hasthreatenedme。
TakeitshatchetfromitandmakeitfastwhereitcandonoharmuntilHeWhoSpeaksforLuatahassaidwhatshallbedonewithit。ItisoneofthosestrangecreaturesthatFosh-bal-sojdiscoveredfirstabovetheBand-lucountryandfollowedbacktowardthebeginning。HeWhoSpeaksforLuatasentFosh-bal-sojtofetchhimoneofthecreatures,andhereitis。Itishopedthatitmaybefromanotherworldandholdthesecretofthecos-ata-lus。\"
TheWieroosapproachedboldlytotakeBradley’s\"hatchet\"fromhim,theirleaderhavingindicatedthepistolhanginginitsholsterattheEnglishman’ship,butthefirstonewentreelingbackwardagainsthisfellowsfromtheblowtothechinwhichBradleyfollowedupwitharushandtheintentiontocleanuptheroominrecordtime;buthehadreckonedwithouttheopeningintheroof。Twoweredownandagreatwailingandmoaningwasarisingwhenreinforcementsappearedfromabove。Bradleydidnotseethem;butthegirldid,andthoughshecriedoutawarning,itcametoolateforhimtoavoidalargeWieroowhodivedheadforemostforhim,strikinghimbetweentheshouldersandbearinghimtothefloor。Instantlyadozenmorewerepilingontopofhim。Hispistolwaswrenchedfromitsholsterandhewassecurelypinioneddownbytheweightofnumbers。
AtawordfromtheWieroooftheyellowslashingwhoevidentlywasapersonofauthority,oneleftandpresentlyreturnedwithfiberropeswithwhichBradleywastightlybound。
\"NowbearhimtotheBluePlaceofSevenSkulls,\"directedthechiefWieroo,\"andonetakethewordofallthathaspassedtoHimWhoSpeaksforLuata。\"
Eachofthecreaturesraisedahand,thebackagainstitsface,asthoughinsalute。OneseizedBradleyandcarriedhimthroughtheyellowdoorwaytotherooffromwhenceitroseuponitswide-spreadwingsandflappedoffacrosstheroof-topsofOo-ohwithitsheavyburdenclutchedinitslongtalons。
BelowhimBradleycouldseethecitystretchingawaytoadistanceoneveryhand。Itwasnotaslargeashehadimagined,thoughhejudgedthatitwasatleastthreemilessquare。
Thehouseswerepiledinindescribableheaps,sometimestoaheightofahundredfeet。Thestreetsandalleyswereshortandcrookedandthereweremanyareaswherebuildingshadbeenwedgedinsocloselythatnolightcouldpossiblyreachthelowesttiers,theentiresurfaceofthegroundbeingpackedsolidlywiththem。
Thecolorswerevariedandstartling,thearchitectureamazing。
Manyroofswerecuporsaucer-shapedwithasmallholeinthecenterofeach,asthoughtheyhadbeenconstructedtocatchrain-waterandconductittoareservoirbeneath;butnearlyalltheothershadthelargeopeninginthetopthatBradleyhadseenusedbytheseflyingmeninlieuofdoorways。Atalllevelswerethemyriadpolessurmountedbygrinningskulls;butthetwomostprominentfeaturesofthecityweretheroundtowerofhumanskullsthatBradleyhadnotedearlierinthedayandanotherandmuchlargeredificenearthecenterofthecity。Astheyapproachedit,Bradleysawthatitwasahugebuildingrisingahundredfeetinheightfromthegroundandthatitstoodaloneinthecenterofwhatmighthavebeencalledaplazainsomeotherpartoftheworld。Itsvariousparts,however,weresettogetherwiththesamestrangeirregularitythatmarkedthearchitectureofthecityasawhole;anditwascappedbyanenormoussaucer-shapedroofwhichprojectedfarbeyondtheeaves,havingtheappearanceofacolossalChinesecooliehat,inverted。
TheWieroobearingBradleypassedoveronecorneroftheopenspaceaboutthelargebuilding,revealingtotheEnglishmangrassandtreesandrunningwaterbeneath。Theypassedthebuildingandaboutfivehundredyardsbeyondthecreaturealightedontheroofofasquare,bluebuildingsurmountedbysevenpolesbearingsevenskulls。Thisthen,thoughtBradley,istheBluePlaceofSevenSkulls。
Overtheopeningintheroofwasagratedcovering,andthistheWierooremoved。ThethingthentiedapieceoffiberropetooneofBradley’sanklesandrolledhimovertheedgeoftheopening。
AllwasdarkbelowandforaninstanttheEnglishmancameasneartoexperiencingrealterrorashehadevercomeinhislifebefore。
Asherolledoffintotheblackabysshefelttheropetightenabouthisankleandaninstantlaterhewasstoppedwithasuddenjerktoswingpendulumlike,headdownward。ThenthecreatureloweredawayuntilBradley’sheadcameinsuddenandpainfulcontactwiththefloorbelow,afterwhichtheWierooletlooseoftheropeentirelyandtheEnglishman’sbodycrashedtothewoodenplanking。Hefeltthefreeendoftheropedroppeduponhimandheardthegratingbeingslidintoplaceabovehim。
Chapter3
Half-stunned,Bradleylayforaminuteashehadfallenandthenslowlyandpainfullywriggledintoalessuncomfortableposition。
Hecouldseenothingofhissurroundingsinthegloomabouthimuntilafterafewminuteshiseyesbecameaccustomedtothedarkinteriorwhenherolledthemfromsidetosideinsurveyofhisprison。
Hediscoveredhimselftobeinabareroomwhichwaswindowless,norcouldheseeanyotheropeningthanthatthroughwhichhehadbeenlowered。Inonecornerwasahuddledmassthatmighthavebeenalmostanythingfromabundleofragstoadeadbody。
AlmostimmediatelyafterhehadtakenhisbearingsBradleycommencedworkingwithhisbonds。Hewasamanofpowerfulphysique,andasfromthefirsthehadbeenimbuedwithabeliefthatthefiberropesweretooweaktoholdhim,heworkedonwithafirmconvictionthatsoonerorlatertheywouldparttohisstrainings。Afteramatteroffiveminuteshewaspositivethatthestrandsabouthiswristswerebeginningtogive;buthewascompelledtorestthenfromexhaustion。
Ashelay,hiseyesresteduponthebundleinthecorner,andpresentlyhecouldhaveswornthatthethingmoved。Witheyesstrainingthroughthegloomthemanlaywatchingthegrimandsinisterthinginthecorner。Perhapshisoverwroughtnerveswereplayingasorryjokeuponhim。Hethoughtofthisandalsothathisconditionofutterhelplessnessmightstillfurtherhavestimulatedhisimagination。Heclosedhiseyesandsoughttorelaxhismusclesandhisnerves;butwhenhelookedagain,heknewthathehadnotbeenmistaken——thethinghadmoved;nowitlayinaslightlyalteredformandfartherfromthewall。Itwasnearerhim。
WithrenewedstrengthBradleystrainedathisbonds,hisfascinatedgazestillgluedupontheshapelessbundle。Nolongerwasthereanydoubtthatitmoved——hesawitriseinthecenterseveralinchesandthencreepclosertohim。Itsankandaroseagain——aheadless,hideous,monstrousthingofmenace。Itsverysilencerendereditthemoreterrible。
Bradleywasabraveman;ordinarilyhisnerveswereofsteel;buttobeatthemercyofsomeunknownandnamelesshorror,tobeunabletodefendhimself——itwasthesethingsthatalmostunstrunghim,foratbesthewasonlyhuman。Tostandintheopen,evenwiththeoddsallagainsthim;tobeabletousehisfists,toputupsomesortofdefense,toinflictpunishmentuponhisadversary——thenhecouldfacedeathwithasmile。Itwasnotdeaththathefearednow——itwasthathorroroftheunknownthatispartofthefiberofeverysonofwoman。
Closerandclosercametheshapelessmass。Bradleylaymotionlessandlistened。Whatwasthatheheard!Breathing?
Hecouldnotbemistaken——andthenfromoutofthebundleofragsissuedahollowgroan。Bradleyfelthishairriseuponhishead。
Hestruggledwiththeslowlypartingstrandsthatheldhim。
ThethingbesidehimroseuphigherthanbeforeandtheEnglishmancouldhaveswornthathesawasingleeyepeeringathimfromamongthetumbledcloth。Foramomentthebundleremainedmotionless——onlythesoundofbreathingissuedfromit,thentherebrokefromitamaniacallaugh。
ColdsweatstooduponBradley’sbrowashetuggedforliberation。
Hesawtheragsrisehigherandhigherabovehimuntilatlasttheytumbleduponthefloorfromthebodyofanakedman——athin,abony,ahideouscaricatureofman,thatmouthedandmummedand,wabblinguponitsweakandshakinglegs,crumpledtotheflooragain,stilllaughing——laughinghorribly。
ItcrawledtowardBradley。\"Food!Food!\"itscreamed。
\"Thereisawayout!Thereisawayout!\"
DraggingitselftohissidethecreatureslumpedupontheEnglishman’sbreast。\"Food!\"itshrilledaswithitsbonyfingersanditsteeth,itsoughttheman’sbarethroat。
\"Food!Thereisawayout!\"Bradleyfeltteethuponhisjugular。
Heturnedandtwisted,shakinghimselffreeforaninstant;butoncemorewithhideouspersistencethethingfasteneditselfuponhim。Theweakjawswereunabletosendthedullteeththroughthevictim’sflesh;butBradleyfeltitpawing,pawing,pawing,likeamonstrousrat,seekinghislife’sblood。
Theskinnyarmsnowembracedhisneck,holdingtheteethtohisthroatagainstallhiseffortstodislodgethething。Weakasitwasithadstrengthenoughforthisinitsmadeffortstoeat。
Mumblingasitworked,itrepeatedagainandagain,\"Food!Food!
Thereisawayout!\"untilBradleythoughtthosetwoexpressionsalonewoulddrivehimmad。
Andallbutmadhewasaswithafinaleffortbackedbyalmostmaniacalstrengthhetorehiswristsfromtheconfiningbondsandgraspingtherepulsivethinguponhisbreasthurledithalfwayacrosstheroom。PantinglikeaspenthoundBradleyworkedatthethongsabouthisankleswhilethemaniaclayquiveringandmumblingwhereithadfallen。PresentlytheEnglishmanleapedtohisfeet——freerthanhehadeverbeforefeltinallhislife,thoughhewasstillhopelesslyaprisonerintheBluePlaceofSevenSkulls。
Withhisbackagainstthewallforsupport,soweakthereactionlefthim,Bradleystoodwatchingthecreatureuponthefloor。
Hesawitmoveandslowlyraiseitselftoitshandsandknees,whereitswayedtoandfroasitseyesrovedaboutinsearchofhim;andwhenatlasttheyfoundhim,therebrokefromthedrawnlipsthemumbledwords:\"Food!Food!Thereisawayout!\"
ThepitifulsupplicationinthetonestouchedtheEnglishman’sheart。
HeknewthatthiscouldbenoWieroo,butpossiblyonceamanlikehimselfwhohadbeencastintothispitofsolitaryconfinementwiththishideousresultthatmightintimebehisfate,also。
Andthen,too,therewasthesuggestionofhopeheldoutbytheconstantreiterationofthephrase,\"Thereisawayout。\"
Wasthereawayout?Whatdidthispoorthingknow?
\"Whoareyouandhowlonghaveyoubeenhere?\"Bradleysuddenlydemanded。
Foramomentthemanuponthefloormadenoresponse,thenmumblinglycamethewords:\"Food!Food!\"
\"Stop!\"commandedtheEnglishman——theinjunctionmighthavebeenbarkedfromthemuzzleofapistol。Itbroughtthemantoasittingposture,hishandsofftheground。Hestoppedswayingtoandfroandappearedtobestartledintoanattempttomasterhisfacultiesofconcentrationandthought。
Bradleyrepeatedhisquestionssharply。
\"IamAn-Tak,theGalu,\"repliedtheman。\"LuataaloneknowshowlongIhavebeenhere——maybetenmoons,maybetenmoonsthreetimes\"——itwastheCaspakianequivalentofthirty。\"Iwasyoungandstrongwhentheybroughtmehere。NowIamoldandveryweak。
Iamcos-ata-lu——thatiswhytheyhavenotkilledme。
IfItellthemthesecretofbecomingcos-ata-lutheywilltakemeout;buthowcanItellthemthatwhichLuataaloneknows?
\"Whatiscos-ata-lu?\"demandedBradley。
\"Food!Food!Thereisawayout!\"mumbledtheGalu。
Bradleystrodeacrossthefloor,seizedthemanbyhisshouldersandshookhim。
\"Tellme,\"hecried,\"whatiscos-ata-lu?\"
\"Food!\"whimperedAn-Tak。
Bradleybethoughthimself。Hishaversackhadnotbeentakenfromhim。Initbesideshisrazorandknifewereoddsandendsofequipmentandasmallquantityofdriedmeat。HetossedasmallstripofthelattertothestarvingGalu。An-Takseizeduponitanddevoureditravenously。Itinstillednewlifeintheman。
\"Whatiscos-ata-lu?\"insistedBradleyagain。
An-Taktriedtoexplain。Hisnarrativewasoftenbrokenbylapsesofconcentrationduringwhichherevertedtohisplaintivemumblingforfoodandrecurrencetothestatementthattherewasawayout;butbyfirmnessandpatiencetheEnglishmandrewoutpiece-mealamoreorlesslucidexpositionoftheremarkableschemeofevolutionthatrulesinCaspak。Inithefoundexplanationsofthehithertoinexplicable。HediscoveredwhyhehadseennobabesorchildrenamongtheCaspakiantribeswithwhichhehadcomeincontact;whyeachmorenortherlytribeevincedahigherstateofdevelopmentthanthosesouthofthem;
whyeachtribeincludedindividualsranginginphysicalandmentalcharacteristicsfromthehighestofthenextlowerracetothelowestofthenexthigher,andwhythewomenofeachtribeimmersedthemselvesmorningforanhourormoreinthewarmpoolsnearwhichthehabitationsoftheirpeoplealwayswerelocated;
and,too,hediscoveredwhythosepoolswerealmostimmunefromtheattacksofcarnivorousanimalsandreptiles。
Helearnedthatallbutthosewhowerecos-ata-lucameupcor-sva-jo,orfromthebeginning。Theeggfromwhichtheyfirstdevelopedintotadpoleformwasdeposited,withmillionsofothers,inoneofthewarmpoolsandwithitapoisonousserumthatthecarnivorainstinctivelyshunned。
Downthewarmstreamfromthepoolfloatedthecountlessbillionsofeggsandtadpoles,developingastheydriftedslowlytowardthesea。Somebecametadpolesinthepool,someinthesluggishstreamandsomenotuntiltheyreachedthegreatinlandsea。
Inthenextstagetheybecamefishesorreptiles,An-Takwasnotpositivewhich,andinthisform,alwaysdeveloping,theyswamfartothesouth,where,amidtherankandteemingjungles,someofthemevolvedintoamphibians。Alwaystherewerethosewhosedevelopmentstoppedatthefirststage,otherswhosedevelopmentceasedwhentheybecamereptiles,whilebyfarthegreaterproportionformedthefoodsupplyoftheravenouscreaturesofthedeep。
Fewindeedwerethosethateventuallydevelopedintobaboonsandthenapes,whichwasconsideredbyCaspakianstherealbeginningofevolution。Fromtheegg,then,theindividualdevelopedslowlyintoahigherform,justasthefrog’seggdevelopsthroughvariousstagesfromafishwithgillstoafrogwithlungs。
WiththatthoughtinmindBradleydiscoveredthatitwasnotdifficulttobelieveinthepossibilityofsuchascheme——
therewasnothingnewinit。
Fromtheapetheindividual,ifitsurvived,slowlydevelopedintothelowestorderofman——theAlu——andthenbydegreestoBo-lu,Sto-lu,Band-lu,Kro-luandfinallyGalu。Andineachstagecountlessmillionsofothereggsweredepositedinthewarmpoolsofthevariousracesandfloateddowntothegreatseatogothroughasimilarprocessofevolutionoutsidethewombasdevelopsourownyoungwithin;butinCaspaktheschemeismuchmoreinclusive,foritcombinesnotonlyindividualdevelopmentbuttheevolutionofspeciesandgenera。Ifaneggsurvivesitgoesthroughallthestagesofdevelopmentthatmanhaspassedthroughduringtheunthinkableeonssincelifefirstmovedupontheearth’sface。
Thefinalstage——thatwhichtheGalushavealmostattainedandforwhichallhope——iscos-ata-lu,whichliterally,meansno-egg-man,oronewhoisborndirectlyasaretheyoungoftheouterworldofmammals。SomeoftheGalusproducecos-ata-luandcos-ata-loboth;theWeiroosonlycos-ata-lu——inotherwordsallWieroosarebornmale,andsotheypreyupontheGalusfortheirwomenandsometimescaptureandtorturetheGalumenwhoarecos-ata-luinanendeavortolearnthesecretwhichtheybelievewillgivethemunlimitedpoweroverallotherdenizensofCaspak。
NoWierooscomeupfromthebeginning——allarebornoftheWieroofathersandGalumotherswhoarecos-ata-lo,andthereareveryfewofthelatterowingtothelongandprecariousstagesofdevelopment。Sevengenerationsofthesameancestormustcomeupfromthebeginningbeforeacos-ata-luchildmaybeborn;
andwhenoneconsidersthefrightfuldangersthatsurroundthevitalsparkfromthemomentitleavesthewarmpoolwhereithasbeendepositedtofloatdowntotheseaamidthevoraciouscreaturesthatswarmthesurfaceandthedeepsandthealmostequallyunthinkabletrialsofitsefforttosurviveafteritoncebecomesalandanimalandstartsnorthwardthroughthehorrorsoftheCaspakianjunglesandforests,itisplainlyawonderthatevenasinglebabehaseverbeenborntoaGaluwoman。
SevencyclesitrequiresbeforetheseventhGalucancompletetheseventhdanger-infestedcirclesinceitsfirstGaluancestorachievedthestateofGalu。Foragesbefore,theancestorsofthisfirstGalumayhavedevelopedfromaBand-luorBo-lueggwithouteveroncecompletingthewholecircle——thatisfromaGaluegg,backtoafullydevelopedGalu。
Bradley’sheadwaswhirlingbeforeheevencommencedtograspthecomplexitiesofCaspakianevolution;butasthetruthslowlyfilteredintohisunderstanding——asgraduallyitbecamepossibleforhimtovisualizethescheme,itappearedsimpler。Infact,itseemedevenlessdifficultofcomprehensionthanthatwithwhichhewasfamiliar。
ForseveralminutesafterAn-Takceasedspeaking,hisvoicehavingtrailedoffweaklyintosilence,neitherspokeagain。
ThentheGalurecommencedhis,\"Food!Food!Thereisawayout!\"
Bradleytossedhimanotherbitofdriedmeat,waitingpatientlyuntilhehadeatenit,thistimemoreslowly。
\"Whatdoyoumeanbysayingthereisawayout?\"heasked。
\"HewhodiedherejustafterIcame,toldme,\"repliedAn-Tak。
\"Hesaidtherewasawayout,thathehaddiscovereditbutwastooweaktousehisknowledge。Hewastryingtotellmehowtofinditwhenhedied。Oh,Luata,ifhehadlivedbutamomentmore!\"
\"Theydonotfeedyouhere?\"askedBradley。
\"No,theygivemewateronceaday——thatisall。\"
\"Buthowhaveyoulived,then?\"
\"Thelizardsandtherats,\"repliedAn-Tak。\"Thelizardsarenotsobad;buttheratsarefoultotaste。However,Imusteatthemortheywouldeatme,andtheyarebetterthannothing;butoflatetheydonotcomesooften,andIhavenothadalizardforalongtime。Ishalleatthough,\"hemumbled。\"Ishalleatnow,foryoucannotremainawakeforever。\"Helaughed,acackling,drylaugh。\"Whenyousleep,An-Takwilleat。\"
Itwashorrible。Bradleyshuddered。Foralongtimeeachsatinsilence。TheEnglishmancouldguesswhytheothermadenosound——heawaitedthemomentthatsleepshouldovercomehisvictim。
InthelongsilencetherewasbornuponBradley’searsafaint,monotonoussoundasofrunningwater。Helistenedintently。
Itseemedtocomefromfarbeneaththefloor。